FIRST ALBUM REVIEW EVURRR
I'm not the kind to write reviews on music, songs, albums, blah blah. Not really my type of thing. Though I do write reviews for movies and books.
Maybe because I've been reading books all my life enough to know the difference between a junk and a treasure; and yes, those literature and humanities units back in college could also be a part of it. But darn, the new TVXQ album makes me want to write a review about it --- a fail attempt to lessen my twitter spamming. This album... it has brought quite a lot of emotions, I don't even... so yea, and because i am not experienced with this kind of reviews, i'll do away with the technicalities and rather focus on the feelings that the songs gave me. xD
wae (keep your head down): a lot of people are debating about the lyrics and granting that it is the only song in the album to which the lyrics has already been revealed; i do agree that the words to the song is quite controversial. lyrics aside, i really really like the feel of the song. the intro speaks bad-ass; electric guitars ftw! and when the bass and drum went kicking in, i was like KJSANFKAJNFAK. the blending of the instruments remind me strongly of Love Psychedelico's Last Smile. and ye, i died 10 million times during min's "jeoramyeon". this song is like, the perfect mix of omgsfarkinhot, lulz, and 0_0. the low parts are so sexy but yunho's squeaky voice rap after the second chorus and the random english (now i'm just chilling; feel like i'm healin) just made me burst out laughing hehehe but omg, my min sounded so grown up here. like ksaldnfalknfal min marry me already, okay?
how can i: this song will be perfect for a drama. that's the first thought that came into my mind when the first line came up. the song has this really really sad feel. reminds me of a person standing near a road in the countryside one sad afternoon. he's staring at the direction of where the road goes and the setting sun's rays seep through the leaves of the trees. the monotony of the pavement is broken by the shadows painted by the trees lining up on the roadside. wind blows on the person's face as he just stands there alone. he doesn't move; he just stands there and his eyes have this faraway look. it feels as if he's looking at something that was there but has already left. something like that. this song makes me all emo. i am trying to fight the thought that the said person is min and yunho. ;___; and i'm not sure if it's just me but this song also reminded me of Holding Back the Tears Vacation MV. i feel like this song will also fit that mv perfectly. i have to listen carefully because at times when my mind wanders, i think i hear the other three's voices singing the song. ;___;
maximum: why is nobody commenting on the oriental-inspired intro? i feel like it's one of the best part of the song. this song paints a very surreal picture for me. and an anime mv played on my mind hahaha. sorta like, on the first part, there'll be bamboo water pipes like those in japan at the background and then when the fast part comes in, ninjas be popping all over the scene and they'd be running around and do those martial arts thing that they do. lol song is so upbeat it makes me dance haha
crazy: this song reminds me of ayy girl! like srsly. only difference is this song gives off a more relaxing vibe than ayy girl (the latter sorta makes me want to dance or shoot kanye west's brains out or something haha) it comes off like rnb at first, or whatever genre that is. i am really ignorant of some mainstream genres like rnb and hiphop (due to me listening mostly to underground music) so i am quite confused on which is which. the only mainstream music genres i can properly categorize are those under rock (punk, ska, post-rock, post-grunge, general alternative, etc) rnb comes in all sizes and textures but my kind of rnb is like that of SHINee's Replay. i'm not sure if this song falls under that but the beat isn't annoying unlike most rnb songs nowadays. i feel like listening to this while sipping coffee with rain pouring outside. and it doesn't sound very kpop-ish to me. very radio-friendly.
honey funny bunny: hahaha okay here it is, the most awaited song of the album. lolol and like most people, i am surprised (in a good way) with how the song turned out. i do not really have any idea on how the song will turn out (well yeah thoughts of cutesy teeny-bopper melodies did come to mind) but the song is really nice. yunho's voice is like melted chocolate. or you know that kind of chocolate with liquor inside. like when you leave it in the refrigerator for a night that when you eat it by morning, the feel of cold chocolate and warm wine leaves this heavenly, unexplainable taste on your tongue. haha yea something like that. ah i'm talking about food again >.<
rumor: like crazy, this song is perfect for rainy days wherein all you want is to chill and snooze the afternoon away. it also sounds so non-kpop-ish. hahaha yiz, because kpop is a genre that does not bank on language as the only distinctive factor for its existence. we know modern kpop is somewhat synonymous to autotune and all those lines repeated for the 3962985257210937501850th time in hopes of being the lat song syndrome. hearing songs like this, y'know the type wherein the song stretches out apart and no line gets repeated more than five times, is refreshing. tvxq has always been known for their good songs, which made me believe that SM actually really likes them for the company itself to invest good products for them. so yea.
confession: i know i've said that changmin's voice is better off with rnb/rock rather than ballads and i'm not gonna rebuke that. i still believe min's voice is best for the aforementioned genres but this boy KNOWS HOW TO SING. as you can see, there's a huge difference between a person who knows how to sing and a person with a good voice. there are people whose voices are so pleasant-sounding, you could listen to them blab all day and it'd feel like melody to your ears. though that doesn't necessarily mean that said people can sing well; hit right notes; control voice properly; bring emotions to song as if it's their soul singing out to you; and make you cry just by doing that. changmin's spoken voice is not the type i'd love to hear all day but darn, everything changes when he starts singing. THIS BOY IS BORN TO SING. when i heard Confession, the sky opened, the flowers whispered to one another; the rain stopped for a moment; and tears started leaking from my eyes. darn. so dramatic, i know. but i felt as if the entire world should shut up and fucking listen once he starts singing this live. his voice flows so gracefully like clear spring water on a virgin forest or something. there's something with how he sings the chorus that my heart moves in time with his notes and i feel an invisible hand tugging my heartstrings. it's making me cry because i cannot fathom such awesomeness.
our game: it's an okay song but not the type that will catch your heart the moment you listen to it. the music sounds so techno and somehow reminds me of 80s music. haha idk why exactly. i'd give it a 3 out of 5 stars. it's like a hiphop song that never really made it. it cannot qualify as rnb too. the song is of a genre that i couldn't quite finger. it's like a cross between house, rap, rnb, and hiphop. the 'aaaah aaaah' part makes me lol but it somehow gives a feel-good vibe to the song.
she: okay, i am listening to this song for the first time while writing this and the first part made me smile. the "oooh yeaah" part is so slick and mellow and nice and ah whatever. the song sounds like the usual kpop ballads with those almost-high notes during the chorus part. though i prefer confession and how can i, this song still passes as a good song. it has this tangy but saccharine taste to it. like a sour lollipop rolled on glazed sugar crystals. something like that. it's not the lullaby kind of ballads but it's more of the kind of song best heard right after you wake up.
over all, i love this album. to the extent that i would love to buy one, if only i have enough money left after buying those ss3 tickets, just to tell the world how good it is. though there are some songs that doesn't really fit my taste, there surely is no bad song in this list. it's like sj's sorry sorry album. you'd play the entire playlist without skipping anything.
my fave song in the album is how can i. this song hurts my nose because i kept on holding back the tears. see, i was an elf even from the start and i have never been a cassiopeia. i remember deleting all tvxq songs my friends saved in my ipod before because i do not want to like them. i feel that they have had enough supporters for me to join the pack. but then, i cannot deny good music when i hear one. so late 2009, i was hunting tvxq songs all over the internet to put in my ipod. i have learned to love the boys but even with the times that i'm still not liking them, i do not remember a moment bashing/dissing/disrespecting them. when the break-up happened, i was like 'ah ok' because i never really felt this strong attachment to TVXQ. i do not see them as a group. i see them as five equally talented boys who happened to form one of the best groups in the history of south korea. and now that jyj is away and homin's making a comeback and kcassies are going apeshit over boycotting the album, i feel that as an elf -- as a supporter of a group who have strong and deep friendship with tvxq --- it's sort of a responsibility to be the wall to back up the boys now that some of their original fandom had turned their backs on them. we're one family. and family means nobody gets left behind. hehehe.
so yea, that's my "review" for wae. i would love to say "heads up, homin's coming!" but the boys say imma keep my head down. so, okay. that's what i'm gonna do. *bows*
/rereads post DARN, THIS IS ONE LONG POST >.<